Chicken Stir Fry

Comforting, generous, and easy to love, built around chicken and finished with soy sauce. A reliable answer to 'what's for dinner?'

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Blank-canvas weeknight dinner — use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
• Faster than ordering takeout (under 30 minutes start to finish).
• Velveting trick gives the chicken silky, restaurant-style texture.
• Naturally high-protein and vegetable-forward.
• One pan, easy cleanup.

Ingredient Notes

• Slice the chicken against the grain in thin ¼-inch pieces — that's the key to a tender bite.
• Cornstarch (the 'velveting' agent) coats the chicken to lock in moisture under high heat.
• Use a neutral high-smoke-point oil like peanut, avocado, or grapeseed; olive oil burns at stir-fry heat.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Beef strips, shrimp, or extra-firm tofu instead of chicken.
• Snap peas, mushrooms, baby corn, bok choy, or carrots in place of the broccoli/peppers.
• Tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free.

Equipment Needed

• Wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet
• Mixing bowl
• Small bowl for sauce
• Wooden or silicone spatula

Prep Tips

• Velvet the chicken (soy + cornstarch) and let it sit while you prep the vegetables.
• Cut all vegetables to similar sizes so they cook at the same rate.
• Mix the sauce in a small bowl ahead of time — there's no pausing once the wok is hot.

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep: 1 lb chicken, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 medium bell pepper, sliced, 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups), 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice. mince the garlic, dice the onion, and chop the vegetables into even pieces before you start cooking.

2. 2

   Toss the sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and the cornstarch in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes — this velveting step keeps the meat tender.

3. 3

   In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, honey, ginger (if using), and 2 tablespoons of water. Set the sauce next to the stove.

4. 4

   Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 90 seconds, then stir-fry another 2 minutes until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Confirm poultry reads 165°F at the thickest point; rest 5 minutes before slicing.

5. 5

   Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan with the onion, bell pepper, and broccoli. Stir-fry over high heat for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender and lightly charred at the edges. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

6. 6

   Return the chicken to the pan, pour in the sauce, and toss for 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats everything. Finish off the heat with the sesame oil and seeds if using, and serve immediately over rice.

Artsi Pro Tips

• Slice the chicken while it's still partially frozen — it makes paper-thin pieces much easier to cut.
• Get the pan ripping hot before anything goes in. Stir-fry done at medium heat just steams.
• Mix the sauce in advance. Once the wok is hot, there's no time to measure.

Common Mistakes

• Cooking on medium heat — stir-fry needs the pan smoking-hot to char vegetables and seal in the chicken.
• Overcrowding the pan, which steams the chicken; cook in batches if needed.
• Skipping the velveting step, which is the difference between tender and rubbery chicken.

Recipe Tags